The Buffalo Mountain Natural Area Preserve in Floyd County reopens June 24 with new rules in place to protect visitor experiences and the preserve’s sensitive natural heritage resources.
The parking lot will be limited to 10 vehicles at one time. Visitors should come back at a later time if the lot is full when they arrive. Parking is not permitted in undesignated spaces.
Visitors will notice a new soft barrier system along the newly completed Barrens Loop Trail. This was installed to better balance recreation and biodiversity conservation. From this trail, hikers can enjoy stunning views and appreciate the unique diversity found atop Buffalo Mountain, while also protecting this fragile ecosystem.
“The purpose of our natural area preserve system is to protect rare plants, animals and natural communities,” said Ryan Klopf, manager of the preserve. “The rare plants growing on Buffalo Mountain are easily damaged by foot traffic. We ask visitors to stay on marked trails and respect the natural resources here so the preserve can remain open for hiking and nature study. We realize how important Buffalo Mountain is to the local community and all who visit. Protecting the unique ecology of Buffalo Mountain for future generations to enjoy is an important goal of our management.”
For the best experience, timing visits to Buffalo Mountain is recommended. The busiest times are weekends between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., so visiting outside of that window is a good idea.
The 1,146-acre preserve is owned and managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. It is home to 15 rare plant species, three rare animals and nine significant natural communities.
DCR closed the preserve on April 10 because of an overwhelming number of visitors, resource degradation and concerns that visitors were not adequately social distancing on trails.
Updates related to Virginia natural area preserves and COVID-19 are posted at www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/nap-covid-19.
